NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
The Utah Jazz are 2-1 in the preseason as they approach their final exhibition battle with the Phoenix Suns. Of course, that record will be of little significance from the moment this game is finished — we toss the results of the preseason into a massive bonfire on the eve of the regular season. I haven’t gotten your RSVP yet — you’re still coming, right?
The Suns, on the other end, enter this game with a 1-3 record in preseason play, losing their first two matchups against Detroit and Chicago, and a third loss arriving against San Antonio.
Advertisement
Their lone win came at the expense of that same Spurs squad, a team that ran out their reserves from the opening tip against the Utah Jazz, but pushed out their starting lineup in both games against Phoenix. So was the decision to preserve their stars against Utah an effort in espionage? Keeping the matchups a mystery to the upstart Jazz? No Wemby, no Castle, no Harper, no Fox — not a single starter out on the court for the reigning Western Conference champions. A power move? A declaration of superiority?
I wouldn’t say so. Considering how Phoenix has kept their stars — the eternal Sun Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the newly acquired Miles Bridges — on the sidelines, I’d lean more toward an overabundance of caution. The Suns certainly struggled in the second leg of their series with the Spurs.
The Utah Jazz have looked excellent in their first few preseason contests. Keyonte George has grown into a man by his fourth year and is now the steady hand that grips the steering wheel of Will Hardy’s offense. But the engine, wheels, body, and suspension are the remainder of his rotational peers.
Lauri Markkanen hopes to return to All-Star form following a year in which he averaged nearly 27 points per game in 42 appearances.
Advertisement
Jaren Jackson Jr. bolsters the frontcourt behind exceptional defending and a floor-spacing jump shot.
Ace Bailey put on some muscle over the offseason and is picking his spots more effectively in his early playing time off the bench.
And Darryn Peterson, of course, is the piece that could elevate Utah’s ceiling from…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/game-thread-utah-treks-desert-022511898.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-10-15 02:25:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
